Corflutes removed and recycled as 2025 federal election concludes

Australia Broadcast Center

07-05-2025

For the past five weeks, federal election candidates' names and faces have been everywhere — billboards, flyers, unsolicited text messages and, of course, corflutes.
A beaming face or catchy slogan cable-tied to a front yard fence or light post has become as much a part of election season as a sizzling sausage or a stubby pencil.
But now the polls have closed, the pencils have been packed away, and the vote count is nearly done — one question remains.
What happens to all the corflutes?
Corflute explained
Corflute is actually a brand name for the corrugated plastic product made by Victorian manufacturer Corex.
Like Band-Aids, Eskies and Tupperware, it has become a generic term — a classic case of brand-name takeover.
The material is polypropylene, a by-product of the oil refining process, which Corex said could be endlessly re-used when recycled properly.
Corex says corflutes can be repeatedly recycled.
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Supplied: Corex
)
However, that does not mean the signs will be sent direct to kerbside recycle bins.
Corex said the material was not suited for yellow-lid bins as added metal eyelets or PVC pockets could contaminate the recycling process.
Instead, the company runs an in-house recycling program that handles thousands of used signs.
The other option is to take signs to a facility that accepts polypropylene plastics.
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When to take them down
There are no national rules on when election signage must be removed, though some councils enforce their own deadlines.
The Australian Electoral Commission recommends checking the local regulations.
Beyond that, it is up to candidates and supporters to manage the clean-up.
Karly Stephens removes a corflute for recycling.
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ABC Goulburn Murray: Annie Brown
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Corex's in-house recycling service accepts all corflute-like materials and sees a major business spike after elections.
Campaign signs are shredded, melted down and pressed into pellets and the Corflute begins its life cycle again.
"We have a huge spike after every federal election," Corex communications manager Zita Watkin said.
"Since January this year, we've actually paused recycling other materials coming in to make way for what's happening [now]."
After the 2022 federal election, Corex received 230 tonnes of used corflute — equivalent to 368,000 standard-sized signs.
More than 200 tonnes of corflutes were recycled from the 2022 election.
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Supplied: Corex
)
Creative re-use
Some corflutes are a little worse for wear by the end of a gruelling campaign.
Sometimes the damage is weather-related while others have been vandalised or completely ripped and removed.
Photo shows
A line of election corflutes dug into the ground
During an election campaign our streets are full of corflutes: beaming signs of political hope. But what happens to them after the last box is ticked and the last squirt of sauce hits the sausage?
Recently re-elected member for Wentworth Allegra Spender sends her used signs back to Corex to be recycled into new material.
Helen Haines, the independent member for Indi, said she sent some of her corflutes to local theatre companies where they were painted for use as backdrops or props in productions.
Unsuccessful independent candidate for Farrer, Michelle Milthorpe, said she hoped to re-use her signage in a future parliamentary tilt.
"And for those that do not know, the corflute can be used to make native bee hives," said ABC Your Say respondent Peter Noonan, from Far North Queensland.
"Just google it."
The ABC has contacted Labor and Liberal campaigns to ask if they have party-wide reuse or recycling strategies.